Khabib Nurmagomedov continued to show why he’s considered a legitimate threat for the lightweight title as he extended his undefeated streak to 22 fights at UFC on FOX 11 in Orlando. “The Eagle” turned in a dominant effort in securing a unanimous decision victory against Rafael dos Anjos. All three judges scored the bout 30-27 in favor of the talented Russian Combat Sambo specialist.

Dos Anjos had been on a five-fight win streak heading into the contest, but the Brazilian simply had no answer for Nurmagomedov’s impressive grappling game. He was able to negate RDA’s offensive output thanks to his smothering style. Nurmagomedov was tenacious in pursuit of his takedowns throughout the course of the fight and was able to utilize his ground-and-pound while maintaining dominant top control.

With the setback, dos Anjos saw his record fall to 20-7 and will take a tumble from the No. 5 ranking that he enjoyed heading into the fight. It was a definite momentum killer after a strong performance in his last fight against Donald Cerrone at Fight Night 27. His solid submission game was a non-factor against Nurmagomedov who showed once again why his ground game is at another level. Dos Anjos will likely get another top-10 opponent next in the hopes of rebounding and working his way back up the ladder.

While it may not have been Nurmagomedov’s most electrifying Octagon performance, the way he was able to stifle the talented dos Anjos was impressive. He’s now 6-0 in his UFC career and has faced very little in the way of adversity during that stretch. The 22-0 Nurmagomedov is bound to improve upon his current No. 7 ranking and is making a very strong case for a future title opportunity. His relentless pressure and skill set make him a tough assignment for any 155-pound fighter.